dysphasia
Pronunciation: dis-FAY-zhuh
A language disorder involving difficulty producing or understanding speech, often resulting from brain injury or stroke.
Full Definition
Dysphasia is a language disorder characterized by difficulty in producing or comprehending spoken language, typically resulting from damage to language centers in the brain. Unlike aphasia, which represents a complete loss of language ability, dysphasia indicates a partial impairment. The condition can affect various aspects of language including word finding, sentence formation, and comprehension. In neuropsychological assessment, distinguishing between dysphasia and aphasia is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.
Usage
Usage note: Often confused with dysarthria (motor speech disorder) or apraxia of speech; dysphasia specifically refers to language processing difficulties.
In Context
- "The patient exhibited mild dysphasia following the stroke, showing word-finding difficulties but preserved comprehension." — Neuropsychological evaluation report
- "Dysphasia was noted during bedside testing, warranting formal speech-language assessment." — Clinical progress note